At least five people have died and 86 remain missing after a fire engulfed a passenger ferry off the Philippines, the country’s coastguard said. The MV June Aster was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members from Manila to the tourist island of Coron when it caught fire as it approached its destination.
The blaze broke out at 18:45 local time (10:45 GMT) on Wednesday and was still burning at 11:00 on Thursday, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. Strong currents and thick smoke were hampering efforts to bring the fire under control. One survivor, Roland Lerma, said he spent two hours in the sea before being rescued.
Video released by the coastguard on Wednesday night showed the ferry engulfed in flames as rescuers pulled people from the water and into rescue boats. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but preliminary interviews with survivors suggest it began in the cargo hold, where containers and goods are stored, the coastguard said.
Officials also said some passengers were not wearing life jackets. Forty-three people have so far been rescued, although it remains unclear how many were injured. Seven survivors were taken to hospital on Culion, a larger neighbouring island with greater hospital capacity and more comprehensive healthcare services.
Maritime accidents are a recurring danger in the Philippines, an archipelago of thousands of islands where ferries provide a cheap and vital means of transporting passengers and cargo between communities, including islands with limited air links. The country is also frequently hit by severe weather, including monsoon rains and typhoons, with an average of about 20 typhoons affecting the Philippines each year.
Previous maritime disasters have also been linked to poor maintenance and inconsistent enforcement of safety regulations.